Itchen Navigation

The Itchen Navigation, also know as the Itchen Valley Navigation is a 10 mile long disused canal system in Hampshire, England that provided an important trading route from Winchester to the sea at Southampton. The canal was opened in 1710 but had fallen into disuse by 1869. It provided an dimportant method of moving goods, particularly agricultural produce and coal between the two cities and the intervening villages. It's waters are fed from the River Itchen, which also forms part of the navigation itself. The tow path alongside the canal is known as the Itchen Way, and is a popular destination for walkers.

Construction

The River Itchen had been commercially important since Norman times, and Winchester's status as the capital city of England was partly due to this link to the sea. Construction of the canal was authorised in the mid 1660's, although completion took over 50 years. The canal was designed as a combination of artifical cut ways together with sections of the River Itchen that where already navigable. The result was a canal capable of containing quite large craft. At one point a link was proposed to the Basingstoke Canal, however this was never started..

Route

The canal starts south of Winchester, flowing past the villages of Twyford, Compton and Shawford, then through water meadows to Bishopstoke eventually merging into the River Itchen as it approached the sea. The combined course of the canal and river

Present Day & Restoration

Eventually newer technologies of road and rail lead to the canal falling into disuse. Lengths of the canal system were drained or allowed to overgrow with vegetation. Increasingly the difference between the canal and the river became less obvious, allthough it is still possible to identify remains of locks. In 2005 a request was made to the Heritage Lottery Fund in the United Kingdom for funds to restore the watercourse. Known as The Itchen Navigation Heritage Trail Project, funding was granted and restoration is now underway.